A Little Nudge
by livyrosebud
Summary: She had never been good at keeping out of peoples business. And besides, all they really needed was a little nudge in the right direction.


Frances Lovat watched in amusement from the comfort of her old rocking chair as her grandson was chased relentlessly around the lawn by the new girl, Coraline. It wasn't very long before Coraline caught up with him, and tackled him to the ground.

"Apologize!" she shouted, trying to hold back her laughter. Frances was doing the same-the look on Wybie's face when he was caught was just too much.

Wybie struggled under her grasp, but was unable to move an inch. "Alright alright!" he sighed. "I'm sorry for putting Slugzilla Junior down the back of your coat, now would you _please_ let me up?"

Coraline pretended to consider this for a minute, then gave a heaving sigh and crawled to her feet. She stuck out her hand to help Wybie up. "I'll let you go this time Lovat. But just remember that I know where you live," she teased, giving him a good punch to the shoulder.

Frances shook her head at the two's antics. She stood up shakily (curse these creaky old knees!) and headed inside to start dinner.

She was never one to keep out of other people's business. She had poked and prodded all of her potential tenants to find out if they had kids, nieces, nephews, grandchildren, anything in the form of a child that might come to visit them, before allowing them to move in. (Letting Coraline's family move in had been a slip up on her part, but she had assumed that whatever had taken her twin had to have left or died within the seventy or so years after she disappeared. Oops.) More than once had she tried to peek over Mr. B's shoulder when she went to collect his rent, but he never had let her get a glimpse of what may or may not be a mouse circus. She had always been the matchmaker in high school. Letting people take care of their own business had never really been her thing. And right now she was incredibly tempted to march up to her grandson and Coraline and ask them when-

She sighed. "I promised I wouldn't do this, Cat," she said to him. Cat cocked his head and stared at her. "I am just gonna calm down and let them work out their feelings on their own." She took a deep breath. "And if I try anything, you stop me, ok?" Cat nodded slowly. Frances blinked a couple times, and shook her head. She was probably just going crazy in her old age, but sometime she swore that cat understood her.

* * *

Valentines Day. One of the most pointless days of the year in her honest opinion. Just an excuse for candy and card companies to sell a truckload of heart-shaped products, but somehow teenagers always went for it. However, she was still hoping that Wybie would have the guts to do something. Just ask the girl out for dinner, give her some flowers, anything really. Watching the two together without interfering was getting to be painful. Pretty soon she was going to start twitching.

Just then the two in question walked through the door, cracking up over something Wybie had said moments ago. Coraline took a gasping breath, and waved at Frances. "Hi Mrs. Lovat," she said, still giggling.

Wybie gave her a smile and a wave. Frances put down her knitting and stood up, stretching. "Would you two like a snack?" she asked. They both nodded. Frances went to the kitchen and got out a batch of cookies she had made earlier, and sat them down in front of the two preteens, who promptly began to stuff their faces.

"Sooooo, how was Valentines Day?" she asked, eyes flashing between the two. Neither noticed.

Coraline shuddered. "Ugh. Tons of kids giggling over store bought valentines and plastic flowers pretty much. I could practically smell the raging teenaged hormones!" she exclaimed.

Wybie nodded in agreement. "It was torture. You couldn't even walk down the hallway without getting your nose plugged with ten different kinds of perfume." He and Coraline exchanged a look and gagged simultaneously.

Frances frowned slightly. "Did either of you do anything for Valentines? Dates, flowers, anything?"

Both shook their heads. "Nope," said Coraline.

"Nada," Wybie replied.

"Zip."

"Zero."

Frances sighed deeply. Wybie gave her a strange look but said nothing.

She turned her back on the two friends, and grabbed a bowl she had already cleaned and scrubbed it furiously so that they wouldn't see the annoyed look she had on her face.

* * *

"Grandma, can I go to the movies with Coraline?" Wybie asked. His grandmother's head shot up immediately.

"_Just_ with Coraline?" she asked hopefully. "What about Emily and Ron?"

Wybie looked confused. "They're going to a family reunion...so yeah, just me and Jonesy."

Frances smiled widely. "So, is this like a _date_ perhaps?"

"What?! No!" Wybie stammered, blushing furiously. "We-we're just _friends_ Grandma."

Frances nodded, trying to hide her disappointment. "Well don't you be trying anything funny," she said mockingly, shaking her finger at him. Wybie blushed even harder and rubbed the back of his neck.

"I-I'm not quite following you Grandma," he stuttered. Frances raised an eyebrow at him.

Wybie began mumbling things that sounded like "Just _friends_," and "I _don't_ like her like that." Coraline chose that moment to walk though the door.

"Hey Wybourne you almost ready?" Coraline asked, swinging her handbag over her shoulder. Wybie stood up straight (for once), and shook his head a couple times.

"Umm, yeah. Let's go," he said. He gave his grandma a hug, and appeared to be thinking about something on the way out.

Frances waited until she heard the door close, and then raced to the window to watch them leave.

Wybie was heaving up his homemade motorbike, still obviously thinking. He turned to Coraline.

"Grandma seems to think we're on a...date," he said carefully.

Frances couldn't see Coraline very well in the fading light, but judging by her reaction she was almost positive she was blushing. "Well that's ridiculous," she scoffed, crossing her arms. "Why would she think that?"

Wybie looked down. "Yeah. I don't know. She's just strange in that way I guess," he trailed off.

Coraline shrugged, and hopped onto the back of the bike. "You gonna drive this thing Wybie, or am I gonna have to?" she teased.

Frances gave up, and backed away from the window. _If they have if their way they're gonna be dancing around this until I'm dead and six feet under, _she thought tiredly. _And I _know_ I'm not going to hold off that long...._

* * *

Frances watched quietly as Coraline and Wybie sat at the kitchen table talking and laughing loudly. Enough was enough. She couldn't hold off much longer, and it was time to take action.

The two were mere inches apart. If one of them were to lean forward just a bit, their lips would be touching.

Frances casually got up, and shuffled towards where they were sitting. Neither noticed.

Frances bit her lip to keep from laughing. Then she grabbed the back of their head's, and slammed their lips together, and watched as their expressions turned from surprise to delight.

Cat watched in amusement from the windowsill. _What strange things these humans do, _he thought offhandedly before pouncing on a nearby mouse.

_

* * *

_

It was only a week later when Frances looked out her window and saw Coraline and Wybie kissing gently under a tree. She grinned to herself, sat up and stretched.

_Mission accomplished._

* * *

Wow. I suck at endings. Ah well. Hopefully you enjoyed it.

Now, off to watch my Coraline DVD again! Wheeee!

-livyrosebud


End file.
